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FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0424
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0008
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUCXJAC/JAC MOLESWORTH JCDX RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0022
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0019
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0021
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ABUJA 000209 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL, INR/AA 
USAID FOR AFR/WA (DALZOUMA) 
LONDON FOR POL (PLORD) 
PARIS FOR POL (BAIN AND KANEDA) 
ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
NSC FOR GAVIN 
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/25 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ECON CASC KISL KPAO NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN NUGGETS -- FEBRUARY 25, 2010 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Jeffery A. Salaiz, Deputy Political Counselor; REASON: 
1.4(B), (D) 
 
¶1. (U) Mission Nigeria provides the following compilation of recent 
political, economic, and social developments not previously 
reported.  Included in this addition are: 
 
 
 
-- CRISIS AVERTED IN NORTHERN NIGERIA'S JIGAWA STATE 
 
-- LES IN CANADIAN EMBASSY IN NIGER BECOMES THE NEW PRIME MINISTER 
 
-- AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA EXPERIENCES RAPID GROWTH 
 
-- NIGERIAN LEADERS DISCUSS ELECTORAL REFORM 
 
-- MAJOR ADVANCE IN MALARIA CONTROL 
 
-- USAID AND PRIVATE SECTOR AGREE TO PROMOTE CLEAN ENERGY 
 
-- RULE OF LAW ESSENTIAL TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
CRISIS AVERTED IN NORTHERN NIGERIA'S JIGAWA STATE 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) Prompt action by Emir of Kazaure Alhaji Najeeb Hussini 
Adamu likely prevented a conflict in Kazaure town in Jigawa state 
from escalating into a large scale crisis.  According to local 
media, a police traffic warden beat a local driver to death for 
violating a traffic rule.  Youth in the area who witnessed the 
incident took to the streets near the Divisional Police 
Headquarters and set buildings on fire, damaging several nearby 
churches.  To prevent additional violence, the Emir went around 
town preaching peace and asking residents to remain calm.  In 
addition, the Emir also temporarily relocated his residence to the 
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Chairman's home.  Local 
pastors credited the Emir's actions in preventing additional 
violence and assured that they will continue to preach peace and 
unity.  Speaking to PolOff on February 24, CAN Secretary General 
Samuel Salifu agreed that the Emir and CAN Chairman provided an 
excellent example of how religious leaders can work together to 
defuse violence. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------------ 
 
LES IN CANADIAN EMBASSY IN NIGER BECOMES THE NEW PRIME MINISTER 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------------ 
 
 
 
¶3. (C) An Abuja-based Canadian diplomat told PolMilOff on February 
23 that Niger's newly appointed Prime Minister Mahamadou Danda is 
the sole locally employed staff political reporting officer at 
Canada's local office in Niamey.  Danda previously served as 
information minister following Niger's last coup in 1999.  Danda 
learned of the appointment on February 23 and sent one final report 
to Ottawa that afternoon prior to taking up his new duties. 
 
ABUJA 00000209  002 OF 004 
 
 
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AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA EXPERIENCES RAPID GROWTH 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
 
 
¶4. (U) American University of Nigeria (AUN) School of Business and 
Entrepreneurship Dean David K. Smith called on the Economic, 
 
Political and Public Affairs Counselors on February 23 to discuss 
potential cooperation between AUN and the U.S. Mission.  Smith said 
AUN is the personal project of former Vice President Abubakar Atiku 
(1999-2007) and is located in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State, 
because that is Atiku's home state.  AUN opened with 124 students 
in 2005, grew to 650 students in 2008 and 1440 in 2009.  The first 
batch of students graduated in May 2009. 
 
 
 
¶5. (U) AUN was initially administered under a multi-year contract 
with the American University (AU) in Washington, D.C., with many of 
the senior faculty members having been hired in the U.S. and sent 
to Yola by AU.  AUN has been trying to reduce its large 
administration and payroll costs, and the last AU-contracted 
faculty members were converted to AUN employees at the beginning of 
February.  The faculty is largely expatriate, but there has been a 
growing emphasis on hiring qualified Nigerian faculty members, 
again as part of effort to reduce payroll costs.  The student body 
is almost entirely Nigerian, with all 36 states being represented 
and an equal balance between the North and South, and between 
Christians and Muslims.  Over 50 of the 80-plus faculty members are 
in the School of Arts and Sciences, 15 are in the School of 
Business and Entrepreneurship, and 15 are in the School of 
Information Technology.  There are no graduate programs, although 
there are long-term plans to establish an MBA program in the School 
of Business and Entrepreneurship. 
 
 
 
¶6.  (U) Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell (2004-2007) 
and other Americans are on the AUN Board of Directors.  The current 
interim President of AUN is the designated U.S. Embassy warden for 
the estimated 70 U.S. citizens including faculty members in Yola. 
AUN has the reputation of being one of the best private 
universities in Nigeria, despite its very short existence.  Atiku 
is reported to have invested $100 million in the establishment of 
the university.  AUN and AU were among the subjects of a recent 
U.S. senate sub-committee case study of foreign corrupt practices. 
 
 
 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
NIGERIAN LEADERS DISCUSS ELECTORAL REFORM 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶7. (U) At a February 17 Swiss-hosted diplomatic forum, the new 
Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, 
 
ABUJA 00000209  003 OF 004 
 
 
said "people of integrity will be called to run future Nigerian 
elections," and that "the tenure of the chair of the Independent 
National Electoral Commission (INEC) was meant to be for one 
five-year term" when the commission was established.  He commented 
that "there never has been a perfect election, especially in a 
developing society."  Bayelsa East Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange said 
that Nigerians are not interested in reform, and "Nigerians need 
attitudinal changes; godfatherism and dictatorship of candidates 
won't change unless the people want change."  He concluded that 
Nigerians think about family, then local, then state issues, and 
finally the nation.  Until that changes and legislative topics like 
new state creation are dropped, nothing will change for Nigeria. 
Ogun State Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, the daughter of former 
President Obasanjo, concluded, "Most people are self-serving, and 
there is nothing wrong with that." 
 
 
 
-------------------------------- 
 
MAJOR ADVANCE IN MALARIA CONTROL 
 
-------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶8. (U) Increased resources from USAID and other donors have enabled 
Cross River state to become the first of Nigeria's 36 states to 
reach the national target of at least 60% of children and pregnant 
women sleeping under malaria prevention treated bednets.  This 
accomplishment is a major advance in malaria control for Nigeria. 
During a statewide measles and polio immunization campaign in 2009, 
a total of 676,000 long-lasting insecticidal treated bednets, of 
which USAID provided 115,000, were distributed to children under 
five years in Cross River.  A survey conducted after the 
distribution of the bednets found that just over 60% of children 
under five and pregnant women are now sleeping under treated 
bednets.  USAID plans to support a second campaign this year in 
Cross River state to ensure that each household will have at least 
two insecticide treated bednets.  The Cross River model is being 
duplicated in mass distribution campaigns, which are providing two 
nets per household in other states. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
USAID AND PRIVATE SECTOR AGREE TO PROMOTE CLEAN ENERGY 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
 
 
¶9. (U) On February 23, the Ambassador, USAID Mission Director, and 
the President of the Independent Power Providers Association of 
Nigeria (IPPAN) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to 
support the production of electricity by the private sector in 
Nigeria.  Under the MOU, technical assistance will be provided to 
IPPAN by the USAID-funded Nigerian Energy and Climate Change 
Project (NECC) to enhance IPPAN members' capacity to develop 
commercially viable projects using indigenous resources and clean 
technologies.  NECC will support the use of flared gas to produce 
electricity, promote the expansion of renewable energy projects to 
reduce the impact of climate change, and expand the sister utility 
partnership between the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission 
and the U.S. National Association of Regulatory Utility 
 
ABUJA 00000209  004 OF 004 
 
 
Commissioners to improve the regulatory environment for electricity 
generation in Nigeria. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
RULE OF LAW ESSENTIAL TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶10. (U) The Initiative for Public Policy Analysis (IPPA), a 
Lagos-based think tank, hosted a February 17 roundtable to discuss 
the economic impact of Nigeria's listing as a TSA "country of 
interest."  In his opening remarks, IPPA Director Thompson Ayodele 
noted that Nigeria has long enjoyed a beneficial economic 
relationship with the United States.  He said that in 2008 the 
total bilateral trade between the two countries was valued at $42 
billion.  The President of Value Fronteira, Dr. Martin Oluba, added 
that: "Good reputation, trust and the rule of law are essential 
ingredients for economic development in Nigeria."  He argued that 
the bad reputation and limited trust would lead to loss of business 
opportunities because Nigerian businessmen would find it difficult 
to borrow money and transact businesses with other partners who 
will need extended time to conduct background checks.  However, the 
Government of Nigeria's inability to end political, religious and 
ethnic violence deters foreign investors, he lamented.  Senior IPPA 
Fellow Dr. Olajide Damilola contended that Nigerians may benefit in 
the long run if politicians pass the anti-terrorism bill pending in 
the National Assembly since 2006 and start investing on security at 
the airports. 
 
 
 
¶11. (U) The Embassy and ConGen Lagos collaborated on this telegram. 
SANDERS